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Join us in our efforts to develop the Associations Act and facilitate civil society activities!

Ministry of Justice
Publication date 3.5.2019 15.08
Press release

Is it too difficult to found or manage an association? Should the registration, deregistration or decision-making of an association be made easier? How should associations take care of their member communications and implement the members’ right of access to information? How could informal groups get the approval of the authorities and supporters more easily? Should concessions be made in the requirements concerning the annual accounts of the smallest associations?

The needs and activities of associations are constantly developing and new opportunities emerge for them. Civil society activities are in transformation; for example, informal activities are ever more popular.

A working group of the Ministry of Justice is currently examining how the operating opportunities of associations and other civil society actors could be improved and increased. The objective is to promote civic engagement and develop more lightly regulated modes of operation.

To identify the current challenges and possibilities and to come up with new alternative solutions, information will be collected from associations and other civil society actors through a survey during spring 2019. The aim is to reach as wide a range of different actors as possible.

In the first stage, you can participate in the information gathering, make suggestions about things to be improved, and express your opinion on the suggestions already made by responding to the survey. The purpose of the survey is to collect information and chart what kind of needs to develop the current legislation and practices there exist.

The survey is open from 3 May to 30 June. The need for legislative amendments will be determined based on the feedback received through the survey. Following the survey, you can participate in an online discussion on the alternative solutions and their impacts between 28 May and 30 June 2019. If you provide us with your email address, you will receive updates on the progress of the survey and the next steps in the project. This way you will get information about the outcomes of the survey and the discussion, the related assessments, and the further stages of the project, including a public consultation to be organised later.

Make a difference and respond to the survey – it is open now! We appreciate your effort and welcome all information and suggestions to develop the Associations Act and other regulation of civil society activities.

Inquiries:

Jyrki Jauhiainen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 150 074, [email protected]

Markus Tervonen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 2951 150 558, [email protected]

Survey https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/312C3F4FC2DA68AE

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